Success but there were also disappointments for the host nation as play commenced in the Men’s Team and Women’s Team events at the 2016 Thailand Para Open Championships in Pattaya on Tuesday 11th October.

Competing in Men’s Team Class 1-3, Anurak Laowong and Yuttajak Glinbanchuen justified their top seeded position by finishing in first place in their initial stage group; it was the same for the combination of Rungroj Thainiyom, Chalempong Punpoo and Yattana Namsaga, the first seeded outfit in Men’s Team Class 6-7.

However, the three Thai outfits, who occupied second seeded places in their respective events, experienced problems.

In Men’s Team Class1-3, Wittaya Wihaiwattana and Paitoon Sae Jew had to settle for second place in their group behind the Korean duo formed by Kim Jinsung and Lim Hangsueng.

It was the very same in Men’s Team Class 4-5; it was second place for the trio of Wanchal Chaicout, Niyom Nachai and Nattaporn Taosrisakul. They suffered a two matches to nil defeat when facing Korea’s Kim Younggun and Park Jaehyeon, the eventual winners of the group.

Second position meant a place in the main draw; in each competition, where there are two stages, teams finishing in first and second places advance to the second stage.

However for Komrit Charitsat and Panupong Santaya in Men’s Team Class 8, it was a tale of woe. They ended the day in third place in their group. Japan’s Hiromi Sato and Takuya Shibasaki finished in first position ahead of the Korean trio of Shin Myungkook, Lee Jungbook and Cho Sunmin.

Three surprise group first places, there was one more; in Men’s Team Class 6-7; Korea’s Park Hongkyu and Japan’s Junki Hai ended their group ontests ahead of the second seeded Japanese contingent of Katsuyoshi Yagi and Masahika Inoue.

Upsets but not where the top seeds were concerned.

Additional to Anurak Laowong and Yuttajak Glinbanchuen, as well as the trio of Rungroj Thainiyom, Chalempong Punpoo and Yattana Namsaga; in the Men’s Team events, it was top spot in Class 4-5 for the combination of Germany’s Jörg Didion, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Wen-Hsin and Malaysia’s Asrul Hashim.

Likewise, first place was secured in Class 8 by Japan’s Arufuahirokazu Tateishi and Yoshihisa Takeda, as it was by their colleagues Takashi Takeda, Ryo Miyauchi and Yukihiro Kinoshita in Class 11,

All advanced safely to the main draw and thus kept medal hopes alive. It was the same for the combination of Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chun-Ting and Tonnie Heijnen of the Netherlands; in a group organised event where all teams play each other, they ended the day with an unblemished record.

Also, in Women’s Singles Class 2-5 and Women’s Singles Class 11, where just one group was involved, it was success for the top seeds.

Korea’s Jung Younga, Yoon Jiyu and Lee Migyu remained unbeaten in the former, as in the latter did the Japan’s Maki Ito and Nanako Hazeyama.

Meanwhile, in the one further women’s event organised in two stages, Korea’s Kim Kunhea and Jung Jinmi secured first place in their group.